- Date
- April 7, 2025, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wausau, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1526FCessna 185
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250407006559A
- Case key
- 200011
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing in shifting wind conditions.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on runway 5 with reported strong and variable wind conditions. About 25 miles from the airport, the pilot obtained automated weather which reported the wind from 340° at 18 knots (kts) and gusting to 25 kts. When he rechecked the weather about 5 miles from the airport, the wind had shifted to 010° at 18 kts and gusting to 25 kts, so he maneuvered to land on runway 5. A few seconds before touchdown, the pilot perceived that the wind had shifted to favor runway 31. The airplane touched down, bounced, and the pilot applied power for a go-around; however, he lost rudder effectiveness and control of the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped to the left, the right main landing gear wheel separated, and the right wing contacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the rear spar. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1526F
- Reported as
- Cessna 185 (D)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1850869
- Built
- 1965
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 260 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kemper Karl R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KANJ · Sault Ste. Marie, MI
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- AUW · Wausau Downtown, runway 05, 3,041 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Remote
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,018 total · 676 in this make and model · 38 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 14 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KAUW
- METAR
- KAUW 071954Z AUTO 36014G24KT 10SM BKN048 01/M13 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP193 T00061133
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 579 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1526F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.